Apparatus for distributing strands



4 Sheets-Sheet l H. W. BOWLY ET AL APPARATUS FOR DISTRIBUTING STRANDS Filed May 13, 1939 H. w BOWL) INVENTORS,

By 6km J. R o/N ATTORNEY Oct. 29. 1940.

0a. 29. 1940. H. w. BQWLY Er AL 2,219,881

APPARATUS FOR DISTRIBUTING STRANDS H. WBOWLV M/VENTORS QR mm ATTORNQV Oct. 29, 1940. H. w. BOWLY ET AL APPARATUS FOR DISTRIBUTING STRANDS Filed May 13, 1939 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 t x v H. W BOWL) W /Nl ENTOR$, J PUD/N 8R -m h A ATTORNEK Oct 1940- H. w. BOWLY ET AL 2,219,387

APPARATUS FOR DISTRIBUTING STRANDS Filed May 13, 1939 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 FIG.

ATTORNE V Patented Oct. 29, 1940 PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR. DISTRIBUTING STRANDS Heyward W. Bowly, Summit, and Jacob Rudln, Paterson, N. J., assignors to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application May 13, 1939, Serial No. 273,588

24 Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus for distributing strands and more particularly to apparatus for distributing wire strands for use in telephone equipment.

Telephone equipment of the panel type, used, for example, in telephone exchanges, varies in the positioning of the electrical units, such as relays, to satisfy the varying requirements for each exchange so that almost always each piece of equipment presents a different problem in wiring the units, that is, in connecting the wires of the switchboard cable thereto. In view of this fact an apparatus which would be suitable for one piece of equipment may not be-suitable for another in wiring the electric units. However, in equipment known as the crossbar type, the electrical units are disposed in definite groups and in definite formation in each group. For example, the equipment is formed in frames, one frame supporting relays in definite positions and another frame supporting crossbar switches in definite positions, while other units, such as magnets or terminal strips, are disposed in definite position in these or other frames. Therefore, with the knowledge that the electrical units are to be disposed in definite positions in like frames similar wiring methods may be practised for all such equipment.

An object of the invention is to provide a simple, eflicient and practical apparatus for distributing strands to definite positions.

With this and other objects in view, one embodiment of the invention comprises an apparatus for distributing strands, such as conductor wire strands, the apparatus having mounting brackets conditioned to be removably secured to a frame supporting a plurality of electrical units, arms, varying in length, carried by the brackets for removably and pivotally supporting at their outer ends a horizontal strand distributing element apertured for forming horizontal types of cable arms or groups of strands and for the securing of vertical strand distributing elements V thereto, these elements being assisted by additional members in the distributing, skinning and cutting to desired lengths groups of wire strands for aligned electrical units, which strands are to be bound in groups to form cable arms.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating one end of one embodiment of the invention, arranged to distribute strands to form one type of cable arm;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of the apparatus, illustrating the distributing of strands in the forming of another type of cable arm; 5

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 1; v

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along the line 55 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary front elevational view illustrating the distributing of strands in the forming of another type of cable arm;

Fig. '7 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 1-1 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 9 is a horizontal sectional view taken along the line 99 of Fig. 8, and

Figs. 10 and 11 are side elevational views of electrical units, such as telephone equipment, illustrating wire strands distributed to and secured together therefor by the aid of the apparatus.

Referring now to the drawings, attention is first directed to Figs. 1, 4 and 5, which illustrate the general details of the first embodiment of the invention. In these figures supporting brackets, indicated generally at It and ii, each have vertical members I2 pivotally supporting latches I3 at their upper ends. The inner ends of the latches are recessed, at II, to lockingly engage an upper frame member I5, while the outer ends of the latches are connected to springs 16 having their lower ends connected to the ver tical members l2 to normally urge the latches about their pivots and maintain engagement thereof with the frame. The vertical members l2 are supported at their lower ends by horizontally projecting arms 20 and 2|, varying in length as illustrated in Fig. 1, the purpose for which will be hereinafter described. The inner ends of the arms 20 and 2| are supported by pairs of legs 22, notched at their lower ends as indicated at 23, to receive a vertically extending portion of a lower frame member 25. The outer ends of the arms 20 and 2| are bent into circular formation to receive pivot pins 21.

A horizontal distributing element 30 is sup- 5o ported by the brackets I0 and II and conditioned to be removably or pivotally secured thereto by the aid of the pins 21. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the element 30 has its ends secured to connecting members 3|, which are formed with spaced circular pin receiving portions 52 secured thereto, conditioned to removably receive the curved ends of the arms 25 and 2t therebetween and in alignment therewith so that the members may be removably and pivotally connected to either arm by the aid of the pins 2?. The distributing element 35 has equally spaced strand receiving apertures 35 therein opening through the upper edge by slots 36, the slots being slightly wider than the diameters of the strands, which in the present embodiment are conductor wires used in forming the cable arms, so that the wires may be inserted singly into the apertures 85, whilethe apertures are of sufllcient size to accommodate the major number of wires to be distributed to any of the electrical units. The element 35 also has a horizontal group or series of groups of equally spaced apertures 38 for use in forming a cable arm of the type illustrated in Fig. 3. Other apertures 39 formed in the element 55 are for removably securing vertical distributing elements 80 thereto.

' The elements 60, as shown in Fig. 1, are for distributing forming the type of cable arm illustrated in this figure and in Fig. 10, these elements having pairs of apertures 43 at each end thereof for removably securing either end thereof to either end of cable guides 54.

The elements 40 are similar in structure to the element 30 in the provision of equally spaced apertures 45 for receiving groups of wires, each aperture opening to its adjacent outer edge through a slot 46 through which wires may be passed to position the wires in the aperture. The elements .30 and so are further similar in that they have gage members 48 and d9, respectively, extending at right angles from the sides opposite the slots 36 and. 46, respectively, which serve in measuring the various wires, as will be 40 hereinafter described. These gage members are,

in the present embodiment, integral with their respective elements 30 and 40 but, if so desired, they may be separate units. The cable wire guides 64 are angular in cross section, providing 45 outwardly extending projections 50 arcuately curved at their upper and lower ends, forming retaining pockets for a wire.

The frame members l5 and 25 represent portions of a frame supporting electrical units such as that used in telephone equipment. These frame members are in actual use approximately two feet in length, supported at their ends by vertical frame members (not shown) and usually arranged one above the other to support groups 55 of electrical units. Due to the complicated structure not necessarily of the frame but of the electrical units, and particularly of the multiplicity of terminals of the group of electrical units mounted in each frame, it is not thought pos- 60 sible to illustrate such structure in every detail in the drawings. However, Figs. 10 and 11 illustrate somewhat the arrangement of these electrical units although only their terminals are shown. In each frame, that is, between each 65 upper frame l and lower frame 25 there may be disposed a group of electrical units, for example, approximately twenty crossbar switch units 55 (Fig. Another group of electrical units, for example,'multi-contact relays 56 (Fig. 70 11), may be disposed in horizontal and vertical rows between another set of frame members "l5 and 25.

Another group of electrical units, for example, holding magnets 51, may be disposed in a row in 76 one of the frames, as illustrated in Figs. 10 and 11. With such equipment other units may be disposed in or supported by the frames, such as holding ofi normal terminals 15, vertical multiple terminals '16 and terminal strips 11, the latter supporting a multiplicity of terminals in general alignment.

Adjustably secured to either end of the element 30 is a cable retaining bracket 59 of the contour shown in Figs. 1, 5 and 6 and having elongate slots by the aid of which suitable adjustments may be made.

Considering now the use of the apparatus in forming one type of cable arm, attention is first directed to Figs. 1, 4, 5 and 10. The term cable arm" is intended to define a plurality of wire strands leading from a main cable along a general path and secured together in a bunch. The main cable, illustrated at 60 (Fig. 1), containing wires which are to be connected to the terminals of the crossbar switches 55 (Fig. 10) extends downwardly at the juncture of the sides of the frames supporting the different sets of electrical units. Let it be assumed that between the upper and lower frames and 25 are disposed ten vertical crossbar switch units 55 which are equally spaced to form vertical and horizontal rows of terminals.

The brackets l0 and H are identical in construction with one exception, that being the length of the arms and 2!, the arm 20 being considerably shorter than the arm 2!. The purpose for this variation in the length of the arms is to position one end of the forming element 30 as close as possible to the frame and position the other end a convenient distance therefrom, the close end being that adjacent the main cable. The formation of the frame members l5 and makes it possible for the brackets I0 and II to be readily attached thereto merely by placing the inner ends of the latches beneath the frame member l5 and the notches l4, moving the brackets upwardly to rotate the latches against the force of the springs l6 until the legs 22 are free to swing into position, moving the brackets to align the slots 23 in the legs 22 with the front edge of the frame member 25 and lowering the brackets into the position shown in Fig. 1. In this illustration the element 30, with a desired number of the elements 40 removably secured thereto at the spaced positions, is positioned so that the apertures 45 will be in general alignment with their respective sets of terminals. Furthermore, the distance from each aperture around each gage member 49 to the adjacent front edge (Fig. 5) is slightly greater than the distance to the respective terminals of the switch units. In the present instance there are ten rows of terminals for each switch unit, which rows are in pairs with four terminals in each row. The first step taken in distributing wires in forming this type of cable arm is to select eight wires for the terminals in the first two rows from the main cable,

pass them beneath the adjacent bracket 59, beneath the projections 50 of the first element 40, extend the wires upwardly to the first aperture 45, and position the wires therein, preferably by passing them through the adjacent slot 46..

These wires are then extended singly about the gage element 49 of the first element 40, as illustrated at 6| (Fig. 5), freed of their insulation from a point adjacent the forward edge of the gage member 49, or its juncture with the element 40, and out, leaving bare ends of predetermined length. When each of the first group of eight wires is thus measured, skinned and cut to definite lengths another group of wires may be taken from the main cable, passed beneath the bracket 59, beneath the projections 50, disposed in the next aperture 45, and conditioned in alike man- 5 ner as the first group. This method may be conditioned for each aperture 45 in the first element 4!) until all of the wires necessary for the first switch unit have been conditioned, thus completing the first cable arm with the exception of the tying or stitching operation, as it is sometimes called. The stitching operation consists of tying by suitable strand material the cable arm adjacent each group of wires where they are taken off to pass through the apertures 45. The next cable arm may be formed in the same manner, removing in successive stages the desired groups of wires, placing them in their respective apertures 45 through the slots 46, extending the wires singly about the left sides of the elements, skinning the wires from points adjacent the forward edges of the elements, cutting the wires to provide desired lengths of bare wire, and stitching these groups of wires to complete the cable arms. This may be carried on until all of the cable arms have been completed, after which the main cable arm leading from the main cable may be stitched adjacent each vertical cable arm and at other desired spaced positions, as illustrated at 62.

It is, therefore, possible with this apparatus to distribute wires tied together to form cable arms at definite positions providing wires of definite lengths freed of insulation at definite positions suitable for completely wiring a multiplicity of electrical units such as the crossbar switch units 55 without measuring any of the wires with respect to the terminals to which they are to be secured. When the cable arms have been completed they may be readily removed by 40 first removing the wires extending through the apertures 45 of the elements 40, after which the main cable arm may be freed of the projections 50. The apparatus may then be readily removed by gripping the arms 20 and 2|, lifting the ap- 45 paratus against the force of the springs l6 until the legs 22 are freed from the frame member 25, then by moving this portion of the apparatus outwardly it may be lowered to free the latches I3 from the upper frame member. The various 50 wires in the cable arms thus formed may be secured to their respective terminals as illustrated in Fig. 10.

It will be apparent that during the distributing of wires in the formation of the cable arms the 55 end of the element 30 supported by the bracket is positioned adjacent the main cable and closely adjacent the frame, while the other end is positioned outwardly, giving the operator more space in which to work. Furthermore, after each (30 cable arm has been completed the element 30 may be removed from the bracket I I by removing the pin 21 therefrom, allowing the element 30 to be swung about the remaining pin 21 as a pivot in order that the operator may more readily re- 5 move the cable from the apparatus.

The cable arm illustrated in Figs. 6 and '7 includes wires distributed for the holding magnets 51 and the terminals 15 and 16 (Fig. These magnets and terminals are as a rule disposed in 70 horizontal alignment in one of the frames adjacent the frame member 25. In distributing the wires as shown in Figs. 6 and 7 the brackets l0 and II are reversed from that shown so as to position the end of the element adjacent the 75 main cable 60, which in this instance is at the right, close to the frame member 25. The bracket 59 is also positioned at the right extremity of the element 30 for the extension of the wires from the main cable therebeneath. During the distributing of these wires the vertical elements 40 and the cable guides 44 are not employed, as merely the element 30 is necessary in this instance. Let it be assumed, for example, that each magnet and adjacent terminals require six wires. A group of six wires is, therefore, removed from the main cable 60, passed beneath the bracket 59, and extended through the first aperture 35 by moving the wires singly through the adjacent slot 36. When the first group of wires is in this position the wires are extended singly around the gage member 48, as illustrated in Fig. 7, where the insulation is removed from a point adjacent the front edge of the gage member. After the desired insulation has been removed each wire is severed, leaving a bare portion of predetermined length. When each wire in this first group has been measured, skinned and severed, a second group may be removed from the main cable, passed beneath the bracket 59 and positioned through the slot 36 of the next adjacent aperture 35. The same steps may be taken in preparing this group of Wires and each of the next successive groups of wires may be thus conditioned until all of the groups of wires for the magnets have been prepared. The distributed wires may then be stitched, as illustrated at 65, at desired positions, particularly adjacent each group of wires as shown in Fig. 6. When the cable arm, that is, the attached group of wires,

has thus been completed it may be removed from the apparatus and the apparatus removed from the frame members l5 and 25.

The element 30 is also conditioned to distribute wires to form another type of cable arm which is the same as that shown in Figs. 6 and 7 with additional wires for the terminal strip 11. This type is illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 and the lower part of Fig. 10. The terminals of the terminal strip 17 are in the present instance disposed in general alignment in groups, for example, with twenty terminals in each group, the spaces between each group being provided for screws or the like for fastening the terminal strip to suitable supports in the frames. The apertures 38 are spaced according to the spacing of the terminals on the terminal strip 11 and the distance from the apertures around the gage member 48 to the front edge thereof, as illustrated in Fig. 3, is a measured distance suitable for the wires that are to be secured to the terminals of the terminal strip. As illustrated in Fig. 3, each of the wires passed through the apertures 38 is extended around the gage member 48, skinned of its insulation from the front edge of the gage member, providing a bare portion of wire of desired length, after which the excess wire is severed. After the wires are thus prepared for terminals in the terminal strip the groups of wires for the magnets 51 and terminals 15 and 16 are prepared, as pre viously described and illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7, all the Wires in this cable are stitched, as indicated at H, completing the formation of this type of cable arm. The cable arm may then be readily removed from the element and the apparatus may then be removed from the frame.

The embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 8 and 9 is substantially identical to the embodiment shown in Fig. l, the main difference being the length of vertical elements 80, these elements having ten apertures 8| formed in vertical alignment therein in place of the five apertures 45 disposed in the elements M. The apertures 8| have slots 82 for the passage of wires into the apertures, the outer edge of the element 80 adjacentthe slot 82 having tapered surfaces similar to those of the elements 40, to further assist in guiding the wires through the slots in the apertures. The elements 80 are further provided with gage members 84 around which the wires may be passed and brought to the forward edges thereof, that is, the junctures of the elements 80 and the gage members 84, for the purpose of measuring the wires determining the point from which the insulation is to be skinned. In this embodiment of the invention an angular member 85 is substituted for the element 30 and has apertures 86 in groups of three equallyspaced to definitely locate the elements 80 with respect to the vertical rows of electrical units which are to be wired. The

triangular formation of the groups of apertures 86 makes possible the reversing of the elements so as to secure either end of the elements to the angular member depending upon the mounting of the apparatus with respect to the main cable. For example, if the main cable extends vertically along the frames l5 and 25 at the left of apparatus the elements 80 are disposed in the position shown in Fig. 8, with the slots 82 at the right of each element whereas if the main cable is positioned at the right of the apparatus the elements 8|] would be reversed, securing what are now the upper ends of the elements to the angular member 85 through the aid of apertures 81 and suitable securing means such as machine screws or bolts 89. Wire guides 90 in this embodiment differ slightly from the guides 44 of Fig. 1, yet their wire engaging surfaces are substantially identical and perform the same func- 4 tion. The guides 90 are secured to the elements 80 through the aid of bolts 9| or the like,

extending through apertures 92, pairs of which are disposed at each end of the elements so that in case the elements are reversed the guides may 45 be secured in place. The angular member 85 may have any suitable brackets (not shown) to removably secure it to the frames supporting the units to be wired. For example, they may have connecting members identical in construction to 50 the connecting members 3| for the securing of this embodiment of the apparatus tothe brackets l0 and H in the same manner as the element 30 is secured thereto. The main purpose of this embodiment is to distribute strands such as wires 55 at desired positions to form cable arms of the type shown in Fig. 11. The type of cable arms shown in Fig. 11 provide wires for all ten levels of terminals of each relay. These cable arms are formed in the same manner as described in the forming of the cable arms shown in Fig. 1 with the exception of continuing the locating and forming of ten groups of wire for each element 80 instead of five groups of wires for each element 40.

In reviewing the features of the first embodiment of the invention attention is directed to the fact that two supporting brackets l0 and II (Fig. 1) are provided, each identical in construction excepting the length of the arms 20 and 2 l which may be removably secured to either end of the element 30 or may rotatably support the element 30 by disconnecting one bracket or the other therefrom through the removal of one of the pins 21. The supporting brackets are so 75 constructed that with little eflfort they may be readily attached to any frame either in the po-.

sition shown in Fig. 1 or in reversed position, depending upon the relative position of the main cable with the electrical units and I the position of the electrical units in the frames for which the wires will be distributed.

The elements 3U, 40 and 80 are constructed so as to definitely distribute the wires for each electrical unit so that the positions where these wires meet the other wires in the cable arms will be in\substantially the same horizontal plane with their respective units. These elements are only definitely locate each wire with respect to 1 its electrical unit, measure its length and determine the point from which the insulation could be skinned, but retain the wires in their respective positions until all the wires in each group have been completed and tied.

The construction of the elements 30 and 40 and the guides 44 makes possible the reversing of their relative positions to condition the apparatus to distribute wires and form cable arms thereof regardless of the relative position of the main cable 60, whether at the right or at the left ofthe apparatus, and regardless of the position of the brackets I0 and II, whether in the position shown in Fig. 1 or in reversed position. 'These various features condition the apparatus to form various types of cable arms under various conditions, which conditions vary with the different types of units and their relative positions with respect to the frames or frame members.

These embodiments of the invention herein disclosed are merely illustrative and may be widely modified and departed from in many ways without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as pointed out in and limited only by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for distributing strands comprising a bracket conditioned to be removably secured to a frame supporting electrical units in definite positions, and an element supported by the bracket and conditioned to distribute strands from a supply at definite positions relative to the units.

2. An apparatus for distributing strands comprising a bracket conditioned to be removably secured to a frame supporting electrical units in definite positions, an element supported by the bracket and conditioned to distribute strands from a supply at definite positions relative to the units, and a gage member supported by the bracket for use in measuring the strands.

3. An apparatus for distributing strands comprising a bracket conditioned to be removably secured to a frame supporting electrical units in definite positions, and an element supported by the bracket and conditioned to distribute strands in groups for each unit at definite positions.

4. An apparatus for distributing strands comprising a bracket conditioned to be removably secured to a frame supporting electrical units in definite positions, an element supported by the bracket and conditioned to distribute strands in groups for each unit at definite positions, and a gage member supported by the bracket for use in measuring the strands. 5. An apparatus for distributing wire strands comprising brackets conditioned to be removably secured to a frame supporting electrical units, to be wired, at definite positions, an element for distributing wire strands for each unit in positions comparable to the positions of the units, and means to secure the element to the brackets.

6. An apparatus for distributing wire strands comprising brackets conditioned to be removably secured to a frame supporting electrical units, to be wired, at definite positions, an element for distributing wire strands for each unit in positions comparable to the positions of the units, means to pivotally secure :the elements to one of the brackets, and means to removably secure the element to the other bracket.

7. An apparatus for distributing wire strands comprising brackets conditioned to be removably secured to a frame supporting electrical units, to be wired, a-t definite positions, an element for distributing wire strands for each unit in positions comparable to the positions of .the units, and separate means to secure the element against movement to the brackets and to pivotally support the element to either bracket.

8. An apparatus for distributing wire strands comprising an element extending in one direction having spaced strand distributing portions, a member disposed at right angles to the element to support the element, and brackets for supporting the member conditioned to be removably secured to a frame supporting electrical units, at positions comparable to the retaining portions.

9. An apparatus for distributing strands comprising parallel elements having strand distrib- 40 uting portions, 8. member to support the elements,

and means positioned adjacent the the member to guide strands to the said distributing portions.

10. An apparatus for distributing strands comprising parallel elements having strand distribut- 45 ing portions, a member to support the elements, and means positioned adjacent the member to guide portions of strands to the said distributing portions and maintain remaining strand portions thereof in grouped substantially parallel posi- 50 tions.

11. An apparatus for distributing strands comprising parallel elements having strand distributing porftions, a member to support the elements, means positioned adjacent the member to 5 guide portions of strands to the said distributing portions, and a gage member disposed adjacent each element for use in measuring the strands.

12. An apparatus for distributing strands comprising parallel elements having strand distrib- 60 uting portions, a member to support the elements, means positioned adjacent the member to guide portions of strands to the said receiving portions, and a bracket to support the member conditioned to be removably secured to a frame sup- 5 porting electrical units in positions spaced comparable to the spacing of the said distributing portions.

13. An apparatus for distributing strands comprising parallel elements having strand distrib- 70 uting portions, a member to support the elements, means positioned adjacent the member to guide strands to the said receiving portions, and a bracket to support the member conditioned to be removably secured in different positions to a 75 frame supporting electrical units in positions spaced comparable to the spacing of the said distributing portions, to form cable arms extending in different directions.

14. In an apparatus for distributing strands, an element having spaced strand distributing portions for distributing lengths of strands, and a gage member disposed adjacent the element for use in measuring the said lengths of strands.

15. In an apparatus for distributing strands, an element having spaced wire distributing portions for distributing lengths of strands, a gage member disposed adjacent the element for use in measuring the said lengths of strands, and means to support the element.

16. An apparatus for distributing wire strands comprising brackets, having supporting arms varying in length, conditioned to be removably secured to a frame supporting electrical units to be electrically connected to wire strands of a main cable supply extending along one side of the frame, and. a distributing element supported by the arms of the brackets, the variation in length of the said supporting arms causing positioning of the end of element adjacent the main cable supply relatively close to the frame and the other end of the element a greater distance away from the frame.

17. An apparatus for distributing wire strands comprising brackets conditioned to be removably secured to a frame supporting electrical units, to be wired, at definite positions, an element for supporting wire strands for each unit in positions comparable to the positions of the units, and means for each bracket to removably secure the element against movement relative to the brackets and conditioned to rotatably connect the element to either bracket when one or the other securing means is rendered ineffective.

18. In an apparatus for distributing strands, a supporting member, a distributing element having spaced strand receiving portions adjacent one side thereof, and means conditioned to secure the element to the support in a selected one of a plurality of positions.

19. In an apparatus for distributing strands, a supporting member, a distributing element having spaced strand receiving portions adjacent one side thereof, means conditioned to secure the element to the support in a selected one of a plurality of positions, and a projection conditioned to be positioned depending upon the position of the element relative to the support in one of a plurality of positions to guide strands to the said receiving portions.

20. In an apparatus for distributing strands, a distributing element having strand receiving portions positioned to distribute strands to form one type of cable arm, auxiliary elements for forming another type of cable arm, and means to removably secure the auxiliary elements to the first mentioned element.

21. An apparatus for distributing strands comprising a distributing element having strand receiving portions positioned to distribute strands to form one type of cable arm, and a bracket conditioned to be removably secured to a frame supporting electrical units to the strands are to be connected to support the element in any one of a plurality of positions relative to the frame.

22. An apparatus for distributing wire strands comprising a distributing element having strand wire receiving portions positioned to distribute wire strands to form one type of cable arm, auxiliary elements for distributing wire strands for forming another type of cable arm, means to removably secure the auxiliary elements to the first mentioned element, and a bracket conditioned to be removably secured to a frame supporting electrical units to be wired to support the element in any one of a plurality of positions relative to the frame.

23. An apparatus for distributing wire strands comprising a distributing element having strand wire receiving portions positioned to distribute wire strands to form one type of cable arm, auxiliary elements for distributing wire strands for forming another type of cable arm, means to removably secure the auxiliary elements to the first mentioned element, supporting bracktive to units supported in definite positions by a frame, and means to removably secure the element to the frame. 1

HEYWARD W. BOWLY. JACOB RUDIN. 

